Most window operators are manufactured from metal housings and bases, which typically house a worm gear and activating guide arms. The metal housings are prone to extreme heat conductivity. The metal housings may produce condensation on the interior side of windows fitted with the rotary operators. Condensation occurs at the location of the metal operator. Also, those types of metal operators are in need of paint finishes. Both the metal and the paint are likely to corrode over a period of time.
The other operators on the market are produced from a die-cast zamack material, which breaks down in a seacoast application. The metal therefore requires some type of finish on the outer surface. The interior surfaces of the operator, which includes the operating gears, are left unfinished. Thus, the unfinished interior of the body and the worm gear are prone to corrosion.
Another problem with metal operators is that the metal of the base housing and the metal of the worm-gear are different metals. Dissimilar metals promote corrosion of parts. Having dissimilar metals in contact creates additional force and friction between the parts, thus causing a high factor of wear on the parts. The high factor of wear increases the chances of the parts failing. The metal operators also conduct heat at a much greater rate than other material types.
Prior art devices require gears for actuating rotary operators. Plastic devices have been proposed which use racks and pinions made of plastic.
Needs exist for window operators that are not subject to corrosion that conduct heat at a low rate, thereby eliminating condensation, that readily accept coatings, that do not have dissimilar metals, and that do not have a plurality of fine tooth gears in contact.
The present invention relates to window operators, and more specifically, to operators for casement windows.
A preferred embodiment has four major parts and two bearing rings. The four major parts are made of strong, rigid polymer. The bearing rings may be made of polypropylene or other self-lubricating polymer. The four major parts are a main body, a cover, an operating handle and a sliding tongue.
The parts of the window operator are produced from polymers, which are non-corrosive and non-thermal conducting. The handle with the attached operator arm is inserted through the cover. The sliding tongue is placed within the main body. The end of the operator arm is placed in a groove in the sliding tongue before pressing the cover onto the main body and fusion welding the cover to the main body. The cover and body components are sonic welded with the sliding tongue and the actuator arm held inside of the plastic base of the window operator, creating a one-piece assembly.
The use of the plastic polymer for the base housing, as well as for the arm and the actuator, eliminates the possibility of corrosion of the base material. Also, the polymer does not require finishing or painting to protect it from corrosion.
A plastic casement windows operator has a plastic housing, a plastic sliding tounge and a plastic operating lever. The housing has a plastic main body and a plastic cover with complementary peripheral steps and peripheral energy directors and inward extending receivers and pins with energy directors for joining the cover and main body after the plastic sliding tounge and plastic operating lever are installed. The main body has an inward extending cylindrical bearing opening, which holds a cylindrical bearing integrally formed between an operating handle and an activator arm. An activator cylinder at a remote end of the arm moves in an oval groove in the sliding tounge. Wings on the tounge support opposite jugs and cylindrical guides which slide along inner guides on the cover and main body. An extension on the flat body tounge has a U-shaped opening for connecting a window linkage. Integral rims extend around the tounge, the U-shaped opening and the oval groove.
These and further and other objects and features of the invention are apparent in the disclosure, which includes the above and ongoing written specification, with the claims and the drawings.